VCSH ETF — Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH)

Updated October 16, 2026.

VCSH is a low-cost ETF linked to USD investment-grade short-term corporate bonds. its distribution rate is 4.57%, its trailing-12-month yield is 4.55%, its expense ratio is 0.03%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 97/100 (Safe). Total return is 60.3% over the past 16.9 years, 769.9 points behind SPY at 830.2%.

Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index, holding investment-grade corporate bonds with maturities between one and five years issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies. The fund offers a moderate current distribution rate with monthly distributions and carries a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. It appeals to income-focused investors seeking steady cash flow with reduced interest-rate risk relative to longer-duration bond funds.

VCSH performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 60.3% over the past 16.9 years, 769.9 points behind SPY at 830.2%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 1.2%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 1.6%.

VCSH key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

97 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

4.43%

Issuer

Vanguard

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Fixed Income

Inception date

11/19/2009

Expense ratio

0.03%

Distribution rate

4.57%

Distribution frequency

Monthly

Trailing yield

4.55%

Last close

$77.51 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$44,176,815,191

Average volume

5781008.0

Dividend

$0.2953

Ex-dividend date

10/01/2026

Payment date

10/05/2026

Beta

0.43

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (4.57%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (4.55%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: Vanguard or company page; Index: USD investment-grade short-term corporate bonds; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

VCSH risks and drawbacks

Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 1.6%.

Who may consider VCSH — and who may not

VCSH may suit someone looking for low-cost broad dividend exposure, a high Distribution Safety Score, moderate current income with a quality tilt. It is a weaker fit for investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on VCSH

• VCSH dividend calendar
• VCSH dividend history
• All tickers starting with V

Tagged: Bonds.

Frequently asked questions

More securities from Vanguard.